(UPDATED) -- Former Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary Gina Lopez has offered to help the Mandaue City Government on the rehabilitation of the Butuanon River, especially on providing the technology to develop the river bank and the design along the river.
Lopez believed that the Butuanon River can be rehabilitated in a short period of time because it is not as worse as the Pasig River. Lopez was in Mandaue Wednesday morning, November 22, and checked the Butuanon River so she can help in the rehabilitation.
She suggested that informal settlers along the Butuanon must be moved out because they do not have proper toilets and are just throwing their wastes directly to the river. These informal settlers must also be relocated in a proper and beautiful relocation area in order to convince them to transfer.
Lopez, who was the chair of the River Pasig Rehabilitation, created “river warriors” who are assigned to take care of the Pasig River after they rehabilitate this.
For Mandaue, she said that the informal settlers can be tasked as the river warriors after they will be properly relocated.
In an interview, Environmental Management Bureau-Central Visayas Director William Cuñado said that they will inform the companies along the Butuanon River starting next week to no longer throw their waste water directly to the Butuanon.
Cuñado said the companies must tap a private entity that can treat their waste water.
During her visit Mandaue, Lopez was assisted by Mandaue Councilors Carmelino Del Mar, Kevin Cabahug and Cynthia Remedio. Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry Glenn Soco and Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera were also there. (FMG/VoxPop Cebu)